Hosted by: Alison can read.
(Parajunkee has another question. About 'the best cover of a book you've read and didn't love')

Q: Best cover? What is the best cover of a book that you've read and loved?

As most of you might now, I'm a real cover lover. So almost every book I read has - in my opinion - a beautiful cover. For this week's question, I'm just going to pick with the last book I've finished and that one is 'Sweetly.' It was a wonderful story!

The new cover is also very pretty, but this one caught my eyes. The other is a bit too-much-of-the-same, while I find this one original and different.

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask. It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin. When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help. Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey. Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again.

Rating:

The idea was refreshing and I liked the promise, but I ended up disappointed with this story. Especially in the beginning. I almost reached the point of putting this one in my ‘DNF’ list of this year. I’m glad that I continued, because it became much better towards the end.

One of the hardest things was the fact that nothing really happens. It’s difficult for me to read something that makes me feel bored. Jane accepted the job of governess when she finds out that the child if fey-cursed. Since Jane became an Ironskin in the Great War, she believes she can help the little girl. It’s not that easy. The girl keeps using her powers instead of her hands and Jane must use all her patience with Dorie. That’s the only thing Jane keeps doing throughout the whole book. The ending was slightly better, but it wasn’t enough.

Edward is gone most of the time. He is an artist and he locks himself up in his studio. A lot of ‘ugly’ woman visit his shop and they leave with an unbelievable beauty. Sometimes Edward slips into the forest, but Jane never questions this behavior and she doesn’t connect the dots. Jane and Edward hardly talk. This made it hard for me to understand their chemistry; I never felt it. I didn’t care for their relationship and I never felt like I knew Edward. He was too distant for me.

Jane is a sweetheart, but she never became my friend. I loved the fact that she can live with her iron mask. She doesn’t dwell in pity; she accepts it. She was brave at the end of the book, but I think I will forget about her soon.

The world-building is a bit plain. Jane spends all her time in Edward’s house and sometimes with her annoying sister Helen. We hardly get any information about the Great War. We get a glimpse of information at the ending, but I wanted to know more.

Overall, it was quite a nice story, but it doesn’t reach the high quality of the original story for me.

1. I never ever read the ending first. Sometimes I hear people say that they read the ending first. How could you do such a thing? That's what the whole book is about! If I would know the ending already, I don't see the use of reading the rest of the book. The ending is most of the time the most exciting thing of the story.

2. I have almost every book from Stephen King and I've read like.. 5 of them. There is something about his books that makes me buy them. I do like his work, so I better get started with the others.

3. I hate cracked/broken sides of books. That's why I read my books very careful. I never open them completely and I don't lay them open on a table; bookmarks!4. If I have part one of a book series, I tend to buy the rest. Even when I haven't read the first one yet. I just like complete series on the shelves.. I also keep reading. I can't stop in a series, unless I really hate it.

5. If I love an e-book, I HAVE to buy it in a paperback edition. I only have an e-reader, because I find it easier to bring it with me when I travel to school. I collect books, so I want to have it in my collection and e-books aren't touchable.

6. I'm running out of space on my shelves and it makes me nervous. I spend almost all the money I have on books and I'm certainly not going to stop, but I have no idea where to put them now.

7. I must read several books at the same time. I feel bored when I read one book, even when it's a wonderful book. I always read around 4 books and one of them is the 'leader.' When I finish that one, another takes it's place.

8. When I read, you can talk all you want, I don't hear you. The whole world around me doesn't exist the moment I'm reading a book.

9. My wish list is higher than Mount Everest. That's because I tend to like almost everything. I'm not really picky when I read the blurb. I only stay away from certain genres (like chick lits).

10. I can't do an author interview. The idea scares the crap out of me, haha. I'm a really shy person and I feel like my English isn't that good, so I try to stay away from it. At least until I feel confident enough.

I could go on for a while, but I will stick with these 10. Perhaps I will come with another list someday, just because it's fun to make them. Link me up with your confession!

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth. Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers. But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Another funny read. Sophie really stole my heart.

I liked this book. Sophie finally meets her father and he is pretty cool. He confesses that he still loves her mother, that’s why he never married another woman. How sweet is that? He tries to convince Sophie to keep her powers. He wants her to be able to defend herself and he will learn her tricks he used for years. That’s how he manages to stay ‘normal’ instead of pure evil.

It’s fun that Elodie returned and that Jenna and Cal play a big role in this one. I LOVE Cal! I kept wishing for him and Sophie to come together. There is a certain chemistry between them, but you can clearly see that she is more attracted to Archer. I don’t get her feelings for him, but they are sweet. Cal sounds more like my type. The enemy is much closer than they expected. I honesty didn't see it coming. Great!

Sophie Mercer is a witch. When Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her warlock dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

“Good luck explaining to God that you used to spank one of his heavenly beings."
Mom gave a startled laugh. "Sophie!"
"What? You did. I hope you like hot weather, Mom, that's all I'm saying.”
I have a new best friend and her name is Sophie Mercer. After an unsuccessful attempt for a prom-night spell, she is sent to Hecate Hall (also Hex Hall) on Graymalkin Island. This school is for Prodigium (also known as witches, faeries, shapeshifters, werewolves etc) She’s not happy. She lives a good live together with her non-gifted mother; her father is a warlock, but he is out of the picture. Still, he is the one who sentence her to Hex Hall.

By the end of her first day, Sophie already made three powerful enemies. She also developed a crush on Archer, a gorgeous warlock and she made friends with her roommate; a girl who happens to be the only vampire in the school. The pink-crazy Jenna.

“But this room looked like it had been decorated by the unholy lovechild of Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake.”

Opinion. Oh, how I loved this book! Sophie is fantastic. She is witty, sarcastic and sweet. Yes, she develops a crush right away because the boy is hot as hell, but it was nice to see that she waits until they grow to each other. And be honest: I think we all had a crush in school on a boy because of his looks. It makes her a believable teenager.
he really cracked me up. There is something about the way she says things, in such a nonchalant way. I really could imagine her voice in my head. Just look at it, her comment to Cal – who is the ground keeper (and he sounds attractive):

“So if you can heal with your touch, why are you working here as like, Hagrid, or whatever?”
There is also Jenna, perhaps one of the biggest ‘freaks’ in the school. She is so cool. Even when everybody blames her, she tries to stand up for herself. Her room sounds horrible with all the pink, but it gave her a real personality. Her story is touching.

The ending of this book was great. I didn’t see it coming. I knew that Sophie was powerful, but I was pleasantly surprised by the conclusion. That brings me to the writing style. It’s easy and fast-paced; it was highly entertaining. I’m so glad that there is a second book.

You definitely need to read this book if you like funny, easy books about magical creatures. You won’t be disappointed, because this book has everything. From danger and drama to romance.

Title: The princess and the hound.Author: Mette Ivie Harrison. Pages: 410. Published: May 1st 2007 by EosSort: Part one of”Princess”

He is a prince, heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the animal magic, which is forbidden by death in the land he'll rule.
She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from true human friendship but inseparable from her hound. Though they think they have little in common, each possesses a secret that must be hidden at all costs. Proud, stubborn, bound to marry for the good of their kingdoms, this prince and princess will steal your heart, but will they fall in love?

Rating:

“There are few things easy in life that are worth the doing.”

This is a difficult book to rate. I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it. I read the whole book, but I never enjoyed myself. It only took me one day, but I wasn’t thrilled to read it either.. So you can understand the trouble I have. I thought it would be more magical, more fairytale-ish.

This story starts with King Richons and his hate for Animal Magic. He likes to hunt and he does it often. He is known for his cruelty, but that will change soon. His people are waiting for a change and one day, ‘the wild man’ arrives. He forces the king to stop his hunt, but of course, the king sends him away. He returns with an army of animals and they fight. The king is changed into a bear and he only can change back if he learns his lessons.

We switch to another era to Prince George. His mother has Animal magic. You can’t resist it too long, otherwise you’ll get a fever and you get very sick. His mother tried it, but she dies. From that moment, his father forbids George to talk about his magic. People are frightened by it and many are burned. George feels ashamed by his Animal magic and he does his best to ignore it.

In his dreams, he often sees a bear. That’s how the two stories entwine. He also gets other strange dreams after his meeting with Princess Beatrice, the girl he is about to marry. They want to strengthen the bond between the two kingdoms. Beatrice is just looking for an escape from her brutal father. She has a strong bond with her dog, but there is something strange going on.

When George’s father gets really sick, Beatrice tells him about her suspicion; she doesn’t trust the doctor. She knows him from before and she is right. We get to know the doctor’s past and George must follow this man. Not only to safe his father, but also to free the real princess; the one he is beginning to love in his dreams and he might help the bear in his dreams too.

Opinion. It was hard to really bond with George. I never understood why he tried to ignore his Animal magic. Not exposing it too much is one thing, but suppressing it is another thing. It’s just his nature; his personality and it makes him whole. I’m glad that he meets himself in the end.

Beatrice is also difficult to bond with, because she is not herself. I also disliked the love between them; it’s a bit too instant-love for me. They get to know each other, that’s true, but it went too fast for my taste.
The writing style is fine. Nothing too fancy. Sometimes the story is a bit boring; it drags on. I wished there was more pace in it. And like I said: I expected this book to be more magical. I thought it would be like a fairytale, but that’s certainly not the case. That might be the reason why I didn’t love it so much.

A daring rescue. A difficult choice.Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's one chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe?Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girl's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what. When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them—they must also protect their hearts.

AWESOME! I love the cover, the title and look at the amazing blurb. I can't wait and luckily, this one will come out soon.

Government attempts to save endangered bees by genetic modification causes their sting to induce deadly, flu-like symptoms in humans. A vaccine created in response changes children into ferocious, killer beasts. The uninfected have built a wall to keep the beasts out, & a girl has awakened on the wrong side.

Something entirely different than the first book, but look at it! Killer beasts.

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.. Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Rating:

“I'm sure I'll feel much more grateful when I find a guy who thinks complex wiring in a girl is a turn-on.”

It’s amazing! I can’t wait to read the next book, because the ending makes you greedy for more. If you want to find out for yourself, here you can read an expert from the story: Chapter 1 – 5. And there is an extra story and you can find it over here: Glitches. It tells the story of a young Cinder and her stepfather Garan. It broke my heart.

Cinder is a wonderful girl. She is brave and she even risks her life in order to protect Kai. There is absolutely no instant love between the two. Better yet, Cinder tries to push him away, but he keeps coming back for her. She lives in a horrible family. Peony is a sweet girl, but Pearl needs a good smack in the face. Her stepmother Adri doesn’t appreciate Cinder and she gives her a hard time. Cinder still manages to stay caring and kind.

Kai is great and I love how we really get to meet him. The chapters switch between Kai’s and Cinder’s story. We also have the doctor. All the information we get, comes from him and I found him touching. There is something warm and friendly about him and in the end, he is the one who tries to save Cinder.

I saw some parts of the story coming, but it was still satisfying when the plot reveals itself. This book surely doesn’t disappoint! I love the concept and the way the story unfolds. The big lines of the real Cinderella story are their, but Marissa found a way to create a wonderful new story.

The world-building is great. We get a lot of information about The Lunars and their Queen. It’s not strange that the Earth is afraid of her. She uses her glamour to silence her people and she kills everyone who stands in her way – including her niece Princess Selene. Although.. there are whispers that the princess survived and Prince Kai is searching for her, so he can marry her.

The writing style is flawless and I can’t wait to find out what will happen next. Cinder will meet Red Riding Hood, how awesome is that?

My vacation is over. After a car ride for almost 12 hours with 37 degrees outside, you can say that I'm very happy to be home again. And there was a pleasant surprise for me! I got my first ARC ever and it came along with a bookmark too! The best part of it: it was signed to me!

Set in early nineteenth-century England, this vivid and romantic historical novel goes from the most elegant ballrooms of London to the city’s most tawdry slums, as a spirited young woman helps unravel a plot by Napoleon to bleed England of all its gold. Through good fortune, Charlotte Raven escaped the poverty of the London slums and is now an educated, wealthy Society lady. But she lives between two worlds, unable to completely turn her back on her old life—specifically Luke, her childhood protector and now a ruthless London crime lord. When Lord Edward Durnham is asked to investigate the alarming movement of gold out of England, his search leads him to London, and his recent acquaintance with Charlotte affords him access to a dark world he barely knew existed. As they delve deeper into the underbelly of London, danger lurks at every turn, and Charlotte must navigate between her two worlds to save England. And soon she faces a defining choice: to continue in the familiar limbo she’s lived in for years, or to take a painful and risky leap toward a happiness she never thought possible.

I'm so thrilled to get started! I will upload a photo of the bookmark and the signed page, because I keep smiling when I think about it.

That's it for this week! I won another book, Michelle Diener was so awesome that she ordered her two other books for me as well, but I will tell you more about it in my next showcase.

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world. Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Rating:

“Do you really want to know where we come from?" she said. "In every century, in every country, they'll call us something different. They'll say we're ghosts, angels, demons, elemental spirits, and giving us a name doesn't help anybody. When did a name change what someone is?”

I wished I loved this book. I was looking forward to read it, because the blurb sounds amazing and look at the cover! It’s so dark and beautiful in a twisted way. Unfortunately, this book didn’t meet my expectations and I will tell you why in a minutee.

Tate’s little sister Nathalie is dead, at least, that’s what everybody pretends. They bury the body, but Tate knows that this is a replacement. Everybody knows about it, but nobody talks. As long as you don’t say it out loud, you can pretend that everything is fine. Not for Tate.

She tries to talk to Mackie, a boy who is different. He is alive because of Emma, his loving sister (this is explained in the book.) His father always tells him to stay low, so he turns away from her. That is until strange people talk to him and tell him that he is dying.

One day, he goes to the world he actually comes from and he receives a special medication. In return for that, he must play in their music band to keep the people from Gentry happy. Things are about to change when Mackie discovers his feelings for Tate; he will help her to get her Nathalie back, but that won’t be an easy task. ‘The Lady’ is planning to sacrifice the little girl and she will do everything to make sure it will happen.

Opinion. This story is told from Mackie’s view. I always like a male POV, since there aren’t so many books, but he wasn’t such a thrilling person. I expected more from a Replacement than whining and lusting after unkind Alice, until he decides he likes Tate. Tate is a tough girl, but she has a slight stalker behavior. She keeps popping up around Mackie, forcing him to say out loud that he is a Replacement. Leave the damn boy alone! It also feels like she hates him, but she still takes her clothes off and kisses him in a whim. I didn't get it. The only person I liked was Emma. She is loving and sweet. She stands up for her own believes.

The story is slow and the writing isn’t very good. There are many strange lines where words contradict each other. Like, “she is strange and normal” how is that possible? There were also weird things going on. Giving rock concerts to make the people of Gentry happen, but you still steal their children to sacrifice them for your own good? And that would make the town prosper, but it doesn’t sound like they have much happiness and richness. They are suffering.

There is also a lot of dialogs about the same subject. It felt like I read the same thing twice. I can’t go into details of the plot without spoiling it, but there are some holes. Just strange things I don’t understand and I hate that. When a book ends, I want answers to all my questions and I want it to be solid.

I guess this just wasn’t my book, because I saw many positive reviews on Goodreads. What I really liked was the cover! Gorgeous! And I will read another book from this author, perhaps that one works for me.

In a magical kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. Rump has never known his full name—his mother died before she could tell him. So all his life he's been teased and bullied for his half-a-name. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. For Rump discovers he can spin straw into gold. Magical gold. His best friend Red Riding Hood warns him that magic is dangerous—and she's right! That gold is worth its weight in trouble. And with each thread he spins, Rump weaves himself deeper into a curse.There's only one way to break the spell: Rump must go on a quest to find his true name, along the way defending himself against pixies, trolls, poison apples, and one beautiful but vile-mannered queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—Rump just might triumph in the end.

Jack is babysitting for the summer on an isolated island with no Wi-Fi, no cell service, and no one else around but a housekeeper and two very peculiar children. He immediately senses something sinister-and it's not just the creepy black house he's living in. Soon he is feeling terribly isolated and alone, but then he discovers there are others. The problem is, he's the only who can see them. As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy…Or is he?

Title: The Toadhouse Triology. Author: Jess Lourey. Pages: 300.
Published: July 17th 2012 by Toadhouse BooksSource: I was contacted by the author.

Aine (pronounced "Aw-nee") believes herself to be a regular teenager in 1930s Alabama, but when a blue-eyed monster named Biblos attacks, she discovers that the reclusive woman raising her isn't really her grandmother and that she's been living inside a book for the past five years. With her blind brother, Spenser, she flees the pages of the novel she's called home, one terrifying step ahead of Biblos' black magic. Her only chance at survival lies in beating him to the three objects that he desires more than life. As she undertakes her strange and dangerous odyssey, Aine must choose between a family she doesn't remember and her growing attraction to a mysterious young man named Gilgamesh. Only through treacherous adventures into The Time Machine, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, A Tale of Two Cities, and the epic Indian saga The Ramayana will she learn her true heritage and restore the balance of the worlds... if she can stay alive.

Rating:

The rating is totally based on the fact that I had the idea that I’m just a bit too old for this book. That’s it. The story is great, the characters are lovely and there is nothing wrong with the writing style. If I was a couple of years younger, I would have loved it.

We get to meet Aine, who is sixteen years old and lives with her blind brother Spenser and her grandmother Glori. She has a companion called Mondegreen. It appears to be a hard woman, although she is good for the children. She took them in after their mother left them – only Aine doesn’t believe her. She wants to search for her mother once she is old enough. For now, she just like to play in the woods with her brother. He is blind, but that doesn’t withhold him from swimming in the pool. When they hear someone scream, Spenser dives into the water and saves a drowning boy called Tru. They are friends right away.

Strange things are going to happen. There comes a message that says that ‘Biblos has arrived’ and Mondegreen introduces them to a boy named Gilgamesh. He owns a Toadhouse. Now, everything happens really fast. They must leave with Gilgamesh to get three keys, so they can return to their original book. Their mother is there waiting for them. Biblosh is a monster and he also wants to get those keys, but they must stop him. He destroys every story he enters. Their world is actually a book and with the Toadhouse, they can travel to other stories.

“When what you find is true, the next object will be revealed to you. There are three, and they will bring you to your true family.”

From that moment, we get to enter different stories with these characters. Gilgamesh is their protector and Tru must return soon, otherwise his story will end; and that’s not a good thing. Biblos is after them, so they must hurry up. Where is the first object and can they find all the keys before Biblos catches them?

Opinion. Aine doesn’t have any friends and she is teased at school about everything; from the scars on her hands to her ‘to green’ eyes. I don’t understand! She is funny, smart and sweet. She is very protective and I love the relationship between her and her brother. Spenser is awesome. He is easy to be around with and brave.

I really liked the idea of this book. Living inside a tale and being able to travel to your favorite stories. The background story – why Biblos is after them and why there mother is in another book – is perfectly performed. It’s just like I said: I felt like I was a bit too old.

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.